The calendula is in full bloom, and so it is time to retell the story of its role in the Dutch resistance to Nazi occupation. Repost from March 18, 2017: Calendula and the Dutch Resistance. Yesterday, a Hungarian woman named Susan asked me why we were not featuring our Calendula seeds more prominently at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which is themed “Holland” this year. She told me that when Nazi Germany occupied the Netherlands (where 75% of the Jews were killed in work camps), the Dutch Resistance would wear Calendula flowers to show their nonconformity to the new regime and their loyalty to the Dutch royal family, which was in exile. The royal family, called House of Orange-Nassau, has been in power since William of Orange led the declaration of independence from Spain in 1581. You may have heard that the orange carrot was bred in the Netherlands in the 17th century as a patriotic tribute to the family with the colorful name (before that, carrots were mainly white, red, or purple). It makes me like Calendula even more knowing that while the Netherlands may have collaborated more than other neighboring nations with the Nazi party, there were those, as always, who resisted, hiding Jews and fighting tyranny. Please let me know if you know more about this story. Susan also told me about an Aster’s symbolic role in Hungarian resistance - please let me know about other plants that symbolize resistance and resilience! #calendulaofficinalis #calendula #symbolsofresistance #dutchresistance #philadelphiaflowershow #williamoforange #houseoforangenassau #seedsofresistance
